Spirit High
by Summer Wonderland
Summary: It seems as though nothing can explain why, at the cost of supernatural abilities, heroes feel unimaginable pain. Even in confidence, the things they love will always be torn away... Jade/KungLao, Sonya/SZ. Most other pairings are not mentioned. Hiatus.
1. My Friend

_A/N: The real plot takes off at chapter 4. These chapters have a bit of foreshadowing here and there, though._

* * *

The night breeze over the forest sent shivers up the backsides of the two royally-known Edenian beauties, and they walked at an easy pace to relax their muscles as they approached the monastery. Both of them were still covered in a thin coat of sweat from the sparring session that took place only a few minutes ago, and wanted to get their nightly rounds over with as soon as they could.

Kitana swiped a strand over to the left side of her dampened forehead, heavily contemplating a question she'd been wanting to ask the entire trip back to the monastery. She knew Jade was the single person she could trust besides Liu Kang, but this was a highly personal matter, and she feared Jade could not give her the honest opinion she needed. If she had never became Kitana's friend, she would only be her protector. All servants of royalty are taught to praise their leaders as if they were perfect, but behind closed doors, servants thought royalty were extremely snide, arrogant and selfish people.

"Fickle..."

Kitana continued to look on, and Jade's attention quickly shifted to the woman beside her. "I'm sorry?"

"I said, 'Fickle.' Do I come off as fickle?"

Jade was unsure of where a blunt question like that may've come from, but she could sense that her friend definitely needed some kind of reassurance.

"Kitana, of course not. How could you think something like that?"

After noticing Kitana's unchanged expression, she tried to delve further into the matter.

"If... you're referring to your situation with Liu Kang, it is to be understood that we have much to do, and if there was time, you'd surely be spending it with him." She glanced at the princess-

Still nothing.

Jade tried to think of something else that might've unsettled Kitana. She couldn't imagine any other context the question could've been asked in, so she asked, very simply,

"What, exactly, is troubling you?"

Kitana turned to face Jade, looking her in the eyes as they briefly split to unlock the door to the prisons. She could be straight-forward about it...

"He... I mean, _Liu Kang_." the princess shook her mistake away. "_Liu Kang_ seems to be very shallow lately, and I have no idea why. It isn't usual for him. And on top of that, I can't come up with any explanation that will help me tell myself that everything is fine."

"But... everything _is_ fine," Jade unthoughtfully said to herself, as she and Kitana watched the giant stone door rise to the acceptance of their signatures.

"Well, I suppose if you look at it from the bigger perspective, everything really is fine. I can see where you get that from." She and Jade then entered the dimly-lit prison, quickly scanning the upper-level security of all the cell doors in the room. "But, ruling an entire realm isn't as easy as I imagined it to be. Think about it for a moment, my friend. If you were in total control of rebuilding _everything _you ever knew, how could you find time for anything else?"

"Oh, Kitana," Jade sighed, as if she'd heard this all before. "We've told you many times, it's natural to need help from people besides yourself. Just because the role was forced onto you, doesn't mean you have to endure alone. I'll always be here for you, and so will Liu Kang, and Kung Lao. The other warriors from Earthrealm even said they'd assist you in any way you needed- _if_ you said you ever needed it."

Jade always sensed that a few months ago, Kitana was struggling with her sudden role of power. She wanted to rebuild homes and entire villages, capture any and all villains who resided in her realm, while leading an army against another huge force of evil. She loved Kitana dearly, but she hated the fact that Kitana always felt weak accepting assistance in ruling over Edenia. She'd once told Jade, that if she were her mother's daughter, she could do this all on her own, but even Kitana should've known that wasn't true.

"I... I know. I believe I can rule by myself, I guess I just didn't expect there to be any obstacles in my path."

Flashing the princess a brief smile of approval, Jade clung to the left side of the prison, and Kitana, the right.

The Edenian warrior first checked the Tarkatan's cell, who sat quietly on the floor with his legs folded, and the fangs of his permanent grin were bared as usual.

In the second cell, an Earthrealm criminal slept with his head against the wall, and his hands folded over his chest.

She stood at the cell gate for a moment longer, observing the man as he peacefully laid himself to rest. Between the prisoners she and Kitana checked in on daily, they all seemed to be very calmed despite their current situations, as if they were waiting for something...

"Ugh."

Jade turned around from the cell she was examining, and walked over to Kitana. "What is it?"

Kitana pursed her lips, and crossed her arms toward the dark cell. "I hate it when he does this."

As the prisoner inched toward the bars, the scales on his dulling green claws slowly came to light. He then tightly grasped the bars, and pressed his monstrous mouth against the cell gate.

"Princess," he hissed, his tongue gently whipping around outside the bars.

Jade pulled Kitana's wrist to urge her past Reptile's cell. "He's just trying to get to you. But, Baraka's cell is secure, and Kano's as well. Everyone else above them seems to be sleeping."

Kitana nodded an 'ok' towards her friend, and continued on. She peered into the heavily clouded cell, just to be sure their were a pair of eyes somewhere in the back. "What about the newer prisoner on your end?"

Jade watched over her friend's back from the center of the room. "You mean the one Liu and Kung Lao brought back a few days ago?"

Kitana nodded, and turned back around.

"I don't worry about him."

"And, why don't you?" she asked as she approached Jade, with a frown.

"Trust me. You'll see."

Kitana followed Jade as they walked over to the last cell on the right row. A masked man in red and black stood at the window, and it was apparent that he still enjoyed looking out of it, despite how small it was. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he didn't bother to acknowledge the two women behind him.

The princess stared intently at the back of his head, feeling slightly disrespected. "Awaiting your chance to escape?"

"_Release from captivity_, not our _escape_," an echoing voice retorted, with a hint of hostility.

Kitana winced. "Release? You believe you've been wrongfully apprehended?"

He didn't answer the princess, and she turned to Jade, who merely shrugged in response.

"I suppose we can call it a night."

"_I_ can, but _we _can't. Don't you remember the promise you made last week?" Kitana smiled, one of her eyebrows raised.

Jade blinked at the princess, dumbfounded. "No. What promise did I make last week, and to whom?"

Kitana giggled to herself, and began towards the prison exit.

"Kitana, I mean it. What are you talking about?" Jade asked, trying to remain close to the princess's side.

"By the Gods, Jade. Are you that forgetful?" She stopped outside the stone prison door as soon as it closed, and grabbed her friend by the shoulders. "Think back to a special dinner last week."

Jade stared into Kitana's eyes. "A special dinner?" A few seconds later, she remembered. "Oh, that one..."

She gently shook her friend. "Well?"

"Well what? Nothing happened that night."

Kitana's brows furrowed. "Someone asked you to meet him near the waterfall, in front of everyone in the palace, that night. Tonight is the day you agreed on, since you were too scared to do it the following night."

Jade's eyes widened. "Wow, I can't believe I forgot something like that."

Kitana let her arms fall back to her own side. "I can. You were so nervous, and you kept holding it off, saying you were busy with me..." she laughed briefly, letting out a long sigh afterward.

"So, my friend, are you actually going to go through with it?"


	2. Too Much Alike

Something inside the warrior's chest rose with a powerful force, and returned to it's original place shortly after. She hadn't realized how her feelings had been suppressed until now, and suddenly, Jade was feeling very weak at the thought of meeting with one of the two most powerful people in the universe for a romantic evening. Of course it felt planned... and very expected, since he was always around Liu Kang, who was always around Kitana, but at one point, Jade wanted to make it different.

It wasn't as though they'd never spoken to each other before; there were several times that he observed the sparring between she and Kitana, offering pointers to the both of them, and even occasionally letting his inner thoughts slip...

And soon enough, recurring thoughts that were previously unfamiliar to the Edenian started to take over her mind, and she became a squeamish teenaged girl with an uncontrollable urge to please a man she barely knew.

Jade started to walk down the swerving path without giving the princess a response, and her friend could already tell her answer was yes.

Kitana smiled to herself in approval, following Jade. They walked back to a small house together that was often used to quickly regather themselves after sparring, and entered.

Jade pulled her braided pigtails down, and started to undress. She remained quiet as the two bathed, but all the while, Kitana knew that Jade was very unsettled.

"If you're nervous at all, you have no reason to be."

Jade, now drying herself off, looked up. "I can't help it. What does he think we can talk about, while sitting at the most beautiful waterfall in Edenia, in the middle of the night?"

"On the night of a full moon, no less." Kitana stepped from her tub, softly laughing to herself, and grabbed her towel. "I must admit, that does sound very pressuring."

"And bold," Jade added, pulling her dress on.

"Well, try to think of it differently. What if he was shy? Then you'd never get the opportunity to talk to him."

Jade pursed her lips skeptically, tilting her head to the side. "At least then, I wouldn't be so nervous that my hands shake."

The princess smirked at the sight of her best friend's hands' trembling... over a man. "So, you want something more than what you already have with him?"

Jade, now pushing the buttons of her dress through the loops, looked up. "This is all happening so suddenly... So I'm not really sure anymore. I don't even know what I'd do with a relationship if I had one... nor am I sure what you mean when you say 'what I already have with him.'"

The princess blinked at her. "It isn't obvious? It _is_ hard to tell what kind of relationship you two have, I'll give you that. But I mean, as much as I hate to say this... there are _signs_." She reached for her own royal blue dress, and began to pull it over her knees. "The first time he came along on our daily training routine, to observe us. Do you remember that?"

Jade nodded in the mirror, reaching for the silver comb on the counter of the vanity.

"I know you don't seem to remember details all of a sudden, so think back to our first time around. When we both teleported at the same time?"

* * *

_It was a beautiful morning, since the the sky was still 'warm', as Kitana liked to say, and the two Edenian women were eager to start sparring at the crack of dawn._

_Kitana pushed back her door, tying her royal blue mask over her face. "Jade, are you up, yet?"_

_Suddenly, Jade's door flew back, making a very loud collision with the frame. "Loser has to do one-on-one with the new recruits!"_

_The princess's friend rushed out of her room, and down the beautiful red and gold halls. Kitana raced behind her, and the two jumped down the entire marble staircase alongside each other, smiling to themselves. Their heels marked the floors hard and fast, and they both started to pant heavily as the door to the outside came into view._

_Side by side, two figures pumped their arms until they both bolted from the doorway, out into the garden. _

_Jade slowed her run to a walk, and Kitana followed suit. _

_"I shouldn't have held back." _

_Kitana smirked. "Oh, so, I only caught up to you because you were holding back?"_

"_Of course," Jade replied, giggling with her friend shortly after._

_The two walked down the brick path to the palace arena, and in the center, stood a man with his arms crossed. _

"_Zaoshang hao," the two women called to the man, their smiles hidden behind their masks._

_He smiled as well, uncrossing his arms. "Good morning to you both."_

_Jade and Kitana could always recognize this man by his attire, but they found it almost unusual to see his razor-rimmed hat strapped to his back, and his short, black hair... visible. _

"_Now, now, Kitana. How should we begin?" Jade asked, attempting to taunt the princess._

"_Hmph," Kitana smirked, stepping backwards and away from Jade, as she did the same. "Hopefully not the same as yesterday."_

_The women laughed, recalling Jade's downward spiral before the spar had even begun._

_Kung Lao stepped to the edge of the arena, revealing an expression of amusement. "Begin!"_

_Kitana placed her hands behind her back, and as soon as her friend took the bait to charge forward, she pulled two multi-bladed daggers from behind her back. The princess swiped the blades in a downward motion, revealing her infamous set of silver fans._

_Jade, caught off-guard, came to a screeching halt, and prepared to deal with one of the fans as it whirled in her direction. The Edenian warrior immediately ducked and lunged forward, grabbing Kitana's ankles and lifting her legs to the princess's neck. Jade's ankles had now restricted the princess's movement, and the warrior pulled herself up and over Kitana's body to land on her hands, and throw her opponent backwards._

"_Well done."_

_Jade's attention darted from their obverver and back to her enemy after receiving the unexpected praise, and Kitana was now running full force at her. She jumped half-way to deliver a wind-knocking kick to Jade's chest, and the warrior fell backwards, purposely rolling even further away to collect herself._

_"But d__on't lose your focus," the observer said, drawing Jade's attention again._

_He briefly smiled at the Edenian, and before a distracted Jade could realize that she was about to be assaulted, Kitana grabbed her by the shoulders and ran up her chest, delivering a forceful upwards kick to her chin and sending her to the edge of the arena. _

_Jade shook herself out of her daze while she slumped against the wall, and rose to her feet._

_Kitana was standing in the center of the arena, and Jade could tell she was grinning behind her mask. "Someone's distracted!" _

_She rested her chin in her hand, began tapping, and looked into the air. "I wonder why?"_

"_It's just early," Jade snapped back, reverting back to her defensive stance._

_Unsure of how to advance yet, the two remained in their spots; but it wasn't long until someone had to make a move._

_The princess wanted the upper hand. In a flash of electric blue light, she had risen to the air and soared over to Jade to surprise her..._

_But ended up receiving a surprise of her own. Jade was nowhere to be found, and Kitana quickly spun around to her left and right. She finally turned around, to see Jade turn around as well, and Kung Lao chuckling softly to himself._

_The three stopped, looked at one another, and began to laugh. _

_Besides being distracted twice by Kung Lao's voice, and mentally synchronized with Kitana for a moment, Jade couldn't remember anything special about that morning._

* * *

"And what about that showed any... '_signs_?'" Jade asked, taking a moment to study her own hair.

"I didn't actually _mean _when we teleported at the same time, I was just using that particular event so you'd remember the day. And wear that band over your hair."

Kitana pointed to a simple, yet elegant, diamond-studded hair band. Jade took Kitana's advice, and put it on.

The princess walked over to the mirror, standing beside her friend. "Now, flip one side of your hair over the band... And _voila_, as people from Earthrealm would say. You are absolutely beautiful."

Jade smiled at herself in the mirror, and then to Kitana.

"Right after that, he offered to give you pointers. One on one pointers."

* * *

"_You think too much alike," Kung Lao said, walking up between the two Edenians. "And you, specifically, let yourself become distracted too easily. Is this usual for her?" He asked, looking to the princess._

_Kitana shook her head, looking directly into her friend's eyes. "Not. At. All."_

"_Then it must be me." _

_The warrior's eyes widened, and her heat began to flutter. _

"_Princess Kitana, could you sit on the sidelines?"_

"_Absolutely," Kitana answered with a smile, walking over to the edge of the arena, and hopping up to sit on the wall with one leg crossed over the other._

_Jade stared at their observer, now her opponent. He stared back, and shifted into an aggressive stance. _

"_Is there something about me that distracts you?"_

_Jade raised an eyebrow, and suddenly, she was forced to block a swift punch towards her stomach._

"_What could it be...?" _

_The warrior had to admit, though it seemed like he was teasing her, she found this exercise... amusing. _

_He then disappeared right before her eyes, and being familiar with his ability, she rolled in the opposite direction, crouching in a defensive position. _

"_Maybe it's because you don't have one of the Tarkatan faces we're so used to seeing?" Kitana called, laughing at Jade. _

_Jade smirked, and rushed towards Kung Lao, preparing to swing her weight up, and to her left to use one of her famous shadow kicks. He caught her foot, and with his other hand, gripped her thigh, turning her over on her stomach._

_The warrior shut her eyes tightly together, muttering in pain and hurrying back to her feet. _

"_That was expected. Try to be a little less predictable."_

_Jade's eye twitched. 'Less predictable? I'll show you less predictable!' _

_She was the general of the Edenian Resistance, and she'd gotten through countless battles being 'predictable'... and he acted as though he were superior to both the princess and warrior in regards to fighting ability._

_So she started to walk towards him; with no aggression, and a steady pace. His expression hadn't changed the slightest bit, save the rapid movement of his pupils over her figure. He knew she was planning something, he just didn't know what, and Jade felt the upper hand coming on in her favor._

_In the middle of her last step forward, the warrior quickly spun in a circle, vanishing in the center of a light green mist. _

_She'd regained her sight a second later, but found that her opponent wasn't where she'd expected him to remain. Her arms were yanked behind her, and a firm figure was forced against the back of her own. _

"_If only your predictability matched your appearance," he whispered, still holding his grip on the warrior's wrist. "Surely you can do better than that."_

_The Edenian could feel his warmth beaming onto her neck, and suddenly felt that there was more to his hold than for his own safety. Jade immediately attempted to struggle against him, and eventually broke free to quickly spin around, to begin attacking him with everything she had. _

* * *

Jade set the comb back down, and rested both of her hands on the countertop. "Alright..."

Kitana's hands were now on her hips. "It was a _sign,_ am I correct? Subtle, yes, but a sign, no less. And you never did tell me if he said anything to you... Did he?"

"No," the warrior replied.

"Then why won't you look me in the eye, and say that, friend?"

Jade looked Kitana in the eye. "He didn't say anything."

"It looked like he did."

"He didn't."

The two stared at each other, and after a while, Kitana broke the silence with her laughter, and Jade began to swipe a black substance over her eyelashes with a small brush.

"You can be embarrassed if you like. You can shy away as much as you want. But, I guarantee you, that sooner or later, you won't be able to withstand him any longer. There were so many more '_signs'_... The time he helped you perfect your downwards thrust, then your uppercut, and some other few skills that I could've sworn you'd already mastered..."

"Alright, alright. So he makes advances on me-"

"And you set up opportunities to make advances on him," Kitana interrupted, smiling.

"...And I set up opportunities to make advances on him," she admitted painfully. "But I'm still not sure about this. I have no relationship experience like you, and what if he tries something... something unexpected?"

"Kung Lao is a gentleman, Jade. I doubt he's anything like Cage. Now put your shoes on. You're trying to stall so that your evening will be shorter."

"I wasn't-"

Kitana handed Jade her flat slippers, and started to push her outside the house. After a second, she then grabbed Jade again, and pulled her back in. "The hairband is too much..."

After the band was pulled away from Jade's hair, Kitana hugged her friend. "The start of a beautiful relationship... we'll be able to get married side by side, Jade. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Who said anything about-"

The door was slammed shut, and Jade, now forced silent, began doubtfully on her way towards the most beautiful waterfall in Edenia.


	3. Suggestions

_Lots of glittery hearts to Pari, EmbbyRo, and Mistress. You guys are awesome. Like my nicknames for you ;P_

* * *

The Edenian warrior paced herself as she walked deeper into the forest. She dawdled with her fingers, occasionally glancing down at her own dress and slippers, hoping she hadn't overdressed for the occasion, or under dressed, either.

As she neared the sound of water crashing against rocks and a lush, grassy clearing in the trees, she became more unnerved, and thought for a moment that she could turn around, and 'get lost' on her way.

She looked to the top of the waterfall, hoping that her companion of the evening wouldn't be there, and was sorely disappointed when she saw the moonlight mirroring his eyes in the distance.

He noticed her presence a moment later. A soft smile crossed his features as he rested his forearms on the rocks above, and sent a single, simple wave to her down below.

She gave no immediate response, but began to step up the rocky path, noticing how difficult it was to climb as she barely managed to make her way further up. Just as soon as she felt herself coming onto a shaky stumble backwards, Kung Lao had immediately gripped a hold of her wrist, pulling her up to steady ground. She flashed a brief smile of gratitude, and nervously slipped her hand away after he guided her safely up to the place he chose for them both to stand.

As soon as she found a comforting position to rest on the flat boulders lining the top of the rocky waterfall, she could feel his eyes all over her. The Edenian was confident in how her champagne chipao would flatter her body for the occasion, but she still couldn't help her overly defensive reaction to the sudden sign of interest.

She turned her attention and eyes to him with the intent to smile and break him away from her body, but she felt a gentle wave of awe slowly invading her sight...

His eyes couldn't be read, but she nearly fainted under his gaze. Whether it was one of admiration, or sexual interest, the Edenian couldn't tell, but she didn't mind either way. Kung Lao wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, but something about the way her looked at her took over Jade with the purest form of captivation. The sleeveless vest he wore, embroidered in silver as opposed to the usual gold, allowed the moonlight to shine on his well-sculpted muscular form, and Jade found the simplicity of his black attire flattering of his being perfectly.

"Why do you think I asked you to meet me here," he asked suddenly, stealing the moment away.

Jade turned to the moon, unable to avoid noticing how much of it covered their view of the sky. "To be honest..."

She looked down into the water below. "It's very obvious. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I felt as though something like this was going to happen, whether we wanted it to or not."

"I didn't want it to seem that way."

"Well, it does," she responded simply, returning her focus to him.

"Where I come from,'dating' wasn't something... normal. I don't think anyone had ever though of such a concept..."

He moved forward a step, just a little closer... "So, just tell me about yourself. That should be simple enough, right?"

It was. After a while of thinking of what to actually say, she decided to tell him about her friendship with Kitana, and how it'd lasted her entire life.

"Kitana had a boyfriend once," Jade begun.

His eyebrows raised subconsciously. "A boyfriend? She was allowed to have one?"

She nodded, smiling. "He was one of the servant's sons. We all used to play together, and I guess she started to like him. Except, one day, when we were around seven thousand-"

Kung Lao tried, but he couldn't help his dramatic reaction. "Seven thousand? As in, seven thousand years," he asked, his eyes slightly wider than they were a moment ago.

She laughed. "Yes, but please try not think I'm ancient. I suppose seven thousand years is the human equivalent of seventeen years?"

The man before Jade seemed to've found it as humorous as she did after she explained, and she found that reaction to be a huge relief. She'd heard that human men weren't really attracted to older women...

"So then, how old are you now?" he asked.

"Nine thousand, six hundred years." She squinted for a moment, calculating the human equivalent in her head. "Twenty-four."

"Wow." he whispered to himself, looking away.

"What? Am I... much older than you?" She blinked soon after, correcting herself. "...So to speak."

"No, not at all."

There was a silence among the two, before Jade decided to break it. "Then... how old are you?"

He seemed hesitant, noted by how he decided not to immediately respond.

"I hope you're not ashamed of your age," she said softly to him, leaning towards Kung Lao.

"I'm not ashamed of my age," he responded, his attention still on the water below the two of them. "Just... embarrassed to tell it to you."

She was surprised. "What is it?"

"Thirty one. You must think that's eerie..." his voiced trailed off, and she could tell it was on purpose.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, gently. "If anyone is creeped out it, should be you. I'm thousands of years older than you are. I was stuck in a thirteen year-old's body while I had the mind I have now... _That_ was pretty eerie."

"I'm seven years older than you. And I have a shorter life span."

Jade sighed softly to herself. She didn't understand why he obviously felt like he was too old for her, and she didn't like knowing shame played any part of their conversation...

"I don't care. You're not crippled in any way, and even if you were, I don't think it would matter. And no matter how many years you live, I'm sure you'll enjoy the time you have just as much as I will. ...don't you think so?"

He turned back to the Edenian, his expression still unchanged. "Maybe. However, I still don't understand how you can think that's okay... especially since in seventy years or so, I probably won't be able to bathe myself."

She stood still, looking into his eyes. "You're very pessimistic..." she whispered.

He immediately appeared unsettled. "No, no! I don't want you to think that. It's just that... I'll come and go into your life in the blink of an eye. I can't get anything positive from that."

"Why are you worried about how I'll enjoy it, more so than yourself? Those seventy years won't pass by that quickly for you, I'm sure..."

Jade then smiled. She had an idea...

Looking to the ground, the Edenian stepped forward. She rested her hand high on his arm, near his shoulder, and looked directly into his eyes.

"What if I made sure, no matter how many years you're alive, that each one will be memorable?"

Surprised, and with an accelerated heartbeat, Kung Lao couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He had to admit, he was more than elated that Jade had taken the opportunity to make the first move, but he didn't like the feeling of not being in control of his emotions...

"That's... very thoughtful of you," he said softly, unable to form a response other than that.

"Then, how about we start by..." she jumped on top of the rock she was leaning on, and threw off her shoes. "Jumping in?"

Kung Lao raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you were that... adventurous," he smiled awkwardly, climbing onto the rock with her.

Jade smirked, pulling her hair back, and leaving it it behind her ears. "I'm not. Maybe spontaneous is a better word?"

He was about to laugh, just before Jade grabbed his wrist and pulled him off the ledge.

The two were quickly submerged into the water that was previously a very steep jump away, and with the help of a few upward strokes, they rose back to the surface in under a minute.

Jade emerged from the water, smiling. From how it was able to sway freely under the water, her hair now covered her entire face after she had risen to the air, and she let out a giggle as Kung Lao laughed at the sight of her distraught appearance, as well.

She heard the sound of water lapping about, just before two strong hands touched, and moved upward from her jaw, and over her head to the back of her neck, moving her midnight hair away from her face. Her heart leap at the sudden contact, and continued to do so as her eyes were forced to meet his.

She held onto his wrists, and gently pulled them back under the water. "Thank you."

As soon as Jade released his wrists, he quickly swung his hands back around hers, and took them back into his grasp.

He smiled, seeming to notice the Edenian's reaction. "Finish telling me your story."

She immediately looked away, becoming aware of her flushed expression. "Right, of course..."

Kung Lao pulled her forward, but not so close to where their chests were touching. "Are you... nervous?" he asked innocently, but she could tell his tone was clearly of a joking manner.

She answered in her mind, _yes, yes... __**yes**_, and Jade knew she had no choice but to look at him, but for some reason, she felt very shy. Just a moment ago, she was openly flirtatious, and spontaneous. Why couldn't she look him in they eye all of a sudden?

"Well, we'll have to break you out of that, won't we?" he said, pulling her into his arms.

In that moment, Jade knew her heart was racing, and pounding hard enough for him to feel it against his body. Nevertheless, he didn't seem to mind, and they stayed afloat in the water, silently, in a tight embrace...

She wasn't sure how long they'd stayed like that, but Jade knew it had to've been a long time. The moon had disappeared from it's previous position, and, if not for being tightly snug between the arms of someone very warm, it'd be freezing outside.

"We were seventeen," Jade whispered, surprising even herself at the decision to speak up now. "And Kitana's boyfriend, I suppose, thought it was time for them to marry each other. She thought it was unusual, and, as expected, said no. The next day, he kept asking her over and over... and a few weeks later, he actually tried to attack her. I killed him."

He blinked, and pulled the Edenian away from his body. "I don't mean to offend, but was that the end of your story?"

"No," she smiled. "It's just a little late, and I'm sure you're cold."

He looked into the sky. "It is... I'll go get your shoes."

Jade walked out of the water behind Kung Lao, immediately feeling the rush of the cold night air against her entire body. She waited for him to return, holding her body as it shivered.

He jogged back down the rocks with her shoes in hand, and lowered himself to one knee.

_He's offering to put my shoes on... _

Jade couldn't think of any man, anywhere, who'd ever offer to do that. She held her foot out, slid it into her shoe, and did the same for her opposite foot.

Kung Lao rose back to his feet. "I'd offer you something to cover yourself..." he then looked down at his chest. "But I doubt this will do anything for you. So how would you like me to carry you?"

She could feel her blush hardening. "That's not necessary."

He smiled, walking over to her. "It is."

"It's not, really-"

Before she could protest any further, she'd already been lifted off her feet. Kung Lao remained silent, and began to follow the pathway Jade took to get here with the Edenian in his arms. The entire trip, she wondered how they still hadn't been able to find something to call their relationship...


	4. Fear

_Pari, I'll go ahead and tell you. Ermac is one of the seven major characters in this story. *winkwink* __Oh, and, this is very AU. It'll be pretty clear once we run into some characters, and learn about what happened to others. It's just how I think the MK world could be just a little more perfect, if possible. ;)_

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It was silent.

Jade held a finger to Kung Lao as she stepped over the threshold into the palace, taking extreme care to walk slowly, and quietly.

It was dark, save the light from the few candles that were left for Jade's return, creating a warm and soothing amber glow inside the main halls.

Kung Lao followed behind the Edenian without asking her why they both needed to be cautious, and she was grateful for his silence. There was definitely something off about the palace, but she couldn't place what it was, exactly...

Jade lightly jogged up the red marble stairs, her eyes immediately scanning the hall as soon as more of it came into view. There was no one up and about, not even one servant. The whole palace was still, and she hesitated to push back Kitana's door when she reached it.

However, she did, cautiously of course, and was able to make out some kind of deformed mound in the corner, with what little light poured in through the doorway.

"Kitana? Is that you-"

A hand was lifted to the light, beckoning for the two to enter the room quickly. Jade assumed it was Liu Kang, and after she was beside them, she confirmed it, and knew that it was also the princess in his arms.

"Is she hurt?" the warrior whispered after she was sure Kung Lao had closed the door.

Liu Kang's voice was muffled, and it sounded like he'd just come up for air after being huddled with Kitana for so long. "She's fine... just a little..."

"Terrified," a smaller voice muttered painfully.

The princess nearly choked out that single word, and Jade could tell she was being honest, and she wasn't ashamed to admit it, either.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Everyone... all of them are..."

Liu Kang stroked her shoulder, and the princess fell silent. "All of the prisoners escaped."

Jade's heart sunk deep into a pit, and she found her throat getting dry. "All of them." She blinked in the darkness, unable to believe what she'd just heard. "Each and every one of them?"

"Yes."

_All of them... _

"Including... Kintaro?" Jade painfully asked, shutting her eyes tight.

Kitana was silent for a moment.

"... I'm sorry... but yes, including Kintaro."

The warrior recalled just how hard it was to track, tame, and transport the Shokan, and the blood, sweat, and scars both she and the princess received from it. They didn't bring the Edenian Resistance with them to avoid unnecessary casualties, and the fight turned out to be extremely brutal. When they finally got him to the monastery, Kintaro needed his own cell at the very top of the monastery just to contain his anger. Sometimes, he even managed to tear out of his restraints, and the cage itself.

Every time that was unfortunate enough to happen, the first person he attacked on sight was always Jade, no matter how close he was to Kitana. Jade had grown to fear him terribly, even when she was far away from the palace. She hadn't seen him in months, but now that she knew he was free, but _not_ where he was, she was becoming more paranoid by the second.

"Reptile tried to attack me," Kitana said, snapping Jade from her fear of Kintaro.

"What happened to him?"

"He ran off after Liu Kang found us. But I think he'll be after me."

Jade blinked away from the princess. "What do we do now..."

"I'm not sure. But the four of us can't take them all on at once. We're sorely outnumbered," Liu Kang answered quietly.

Jade felt a hand on her shoulder, followed by an unfamiliar warmth against her neck...

"_Very outnumbered."_

Jade turned around on her knees, and found herself keeping two blades from chopping the three of their heads off in one, clean, inward push. She screamed as the blades began to cut deeper into her hands, and tears were forcing themselves out of her eyes.

Small hands, presumed to be Kitana's, pulled Jade backwards onto the floor as Liu Kang kicked the infamous Tarkatan away, and began to drag the fight through the screen door, and out into the hall.

"Come on, we have to stop the bleeding."

The Edenians hurried to their feet and out of the room, running in the direction opposite of the fight between Liu Kang and Baraka.

Kitana led Jade to the end of the hall, and into the bathing room. She began to search the room and the shelves for bandaging, throwing anything that wasn't what she needed out of her way and onto the floor. She finally pulled the bandages from the shelf, and grabbed the flask of natural antiseptic as she rushed to her knees in front of her bleeding friend. She reached for a nearby towel, and bunched it against one of her hands. She wrapped the bandage tight over the towel, and found another towel to do the same for Jade's other hand.

"We'll wait until the bleeding stops, and then I'll clean your wound."

Jade nodded, and the two sat quietly together as they listened to the fight to make sure no one had won yet.

Kitana kept looking at the door and back to Jade, and the warrior knew she just wanted to be sure Liu Kang was alright.

She looked to her friend, holding her wrist. "We need to send for help. You go to Liu Kang, and I'll try to make it to Earthrealm."

Kitana looked back to her friend. "How will you defend yourself? Who's to say they aren't all waiting for someone to go alone to get help?"

The princess appeared to be highly upset with her suggestion- she was afraid for her friend, and the warrior adored it. "I'll be fine, and you know I will. Somebody needs to go..." Jade whispered softly.

Kitana removed the bandages and the towels, and began to clean her wounds. "No. If you're going anywhere, it's to get Mileena to do it."

Mileena lived not far from the palace, now that Shao Khan had disappeared from their lives for the past year. Shortly after the year-long journey the princess and her friends went on to find Shao Khan and prevent any further attempts of invasion, the tarkatan clone came to Kitana and told her that she wanted to change. Jade told the princess that Mileena deserved a chance- after all, she was only being obedient to her master, and she did seem devastated when Kitana told her that she was merely a clone. She'd told Kitana that she felt her life was a lie, and she wanted to make it worth something.

Over months of nightly palace visits and dinners, Mileena had grown humble, and... somewhat _sweet_, Kitana and Jade had to admit. They began to accept her as Kitana's sister, and, like once before, they were all together again.

Jade stood up with Kitana, examining her bandaged hands. "I'll be back here in a little while. Try to stay somewhere near this hall."

They nodded to each other, and after exiting the bathroom, parted to go their separate ways.

Jade ran out to the balcony, still only dressed in her chipao and bare feet. She tilted her left hand on it's side, and hopped over the balcony ledge to the ground, taking care not to apply pressure on the middle of either of her hands. She ran straight ahead, following the stone path, and never stopped to see if anyone was after her. More of Mileena's beautiful home came into view with each passing second, and she saw that all of the lights were on inside.

She ran up the stairs, and carefully pushed the door back with her fingers. "Mileena!"

The woman came from the room on Jade's right, in a close-fitting magenta nightgown. Her dark hair had grown to her waist, or even longer than that, since it was tied into a high ponytail.

"You're bleeding. What's happened?"

She dropped her hatred towards Mileena a long time ago, but she had to admit that Mileena's mouth still sent chills up her spine. Her teeth were so frightening to see whenever she spoke... "The prisoners escaped. We need you to go to Earthrealm and get the OIA to help, since I can't go." she said, holding her hands up.

Mileena ran to the wall immediately, and pushed back a curtain to reveal her ninja suit. "Is Kitana alright?"

"She's fine, but she's been badly frightened by Reptile."

She pulled her gown off in front of Jade, and slipped her leotard on. "If I'm not back in an hour, you'll have to come after me."

Jade nodded, and watched Mileena as she grabbed her sais. "...By any chance, have you heard anyone out here?"

Now completely prepared to go, Mileena faced the Edenian warrior. "No. Who's missing?"

"Kung Lao. He _was _with us in the palace, but, I don't know what happened to him."

Mileena simply blinked in response, and Jade realized that she was unaware of how their relationship had progressed tonight...

"...I'll keep an eye out," the Tarkatan answered, almost reluctantly.

The Edenian smiled. "Thanks."

She and Mileena ran outside, and stayed together until they reached the palace entrance.

"Remember. An hour," Mileena said to Jade, taking off down the path towards the forest.

The Edenian watched her friend until she vanished in the darkness, and swallowed the queasiness in her throat as she turned to the palace.

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_I said that there would be rape in this story, but I won't be writing that. In fact the idea is completely scrapped. I know it's a sensitive topic, plus, it probabaly wouldn't fit anyway. So no worries!_

_And don't forget to review! I can't believe all the hits I get to every chapter and not a single review. *pouty face*_


	5. Capture

The Edenian crossed the threshold back into the palace once again, lightly running against the marble floors. She hurried up the stairs and down the hall, making a left into the bathing room. She looked left and right throughout the room, searching for the princess, but she was nowhere to be found, and she hoped it was for a good reason. Liu Kang and Baraka weren't in the halls, either.

"Jade."

The warrior turned to her right, and found Kitana tossing her an emerald bundle of clothing, along with a short silver rod. "Dress, and follow me."

Jade quickly slid her chipao off, and her suit on, but left her hair to remain free as she assumed time wouldn't allow her to do any more with it. She and the princess ran down the long dark hall behind their bedrooms, and turned a corner to reveal Liu Kang standing over a dazed Baraka.

The champion looked up to the Edenians. "I doubt he will tell us anything when he wakes."

Kitana nodded, and walked over to kneel beside the Tarkatan. Jade followed her movements with her eyes, cautious of Baraka's newlyfound talent of surprise.

"Has Kung Lao come up yet," she asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Liu Kang shook his head softly. "But I'm sure he will. I don't think he would just-"

The loud, unforgiving sound of shattering glass interrupted the champion, and brows around the room were immediately furrowed. It wasn't until a louder series of crashing sounds came from outside that Kitana, Jade, and Liu Kang took off together in the direction of the disturbance.

Their running grew harder and louder as they neared the main hall, and even still as they inched closer, they heard additional noises.

"I said get back!"

The familiar sound of a fuming bright pink blast, as well as a thud, was heard shortly after. They knew the feminine authority in that voice anywhere.

Kitana, Liu Kang and Jade took their lasts steps before stopping atop the staircase. A woman in a revealing black tank top, green tights and black boots looked up to the three, as well as a man in a grey t-shirt, black slacks, and black boots. It only took the three a moment to recognize Johnny Cage alongside Sonya Blade. Mileena entered the palace shortly after they'd arrived.

"Thank the gods you're here," Kitana said, sounding relieved.

"We knew to come as soon as we saw Mileena suited up." Cage said, nodding to princess.

"Princess!"

Jade's eyes darted to the previously stunned attacker on the floor to their right. That voice could not have belonged to any of their allies, and Jade watched as Liu Kang grabbed Kitana by the shoulders and brought her body behind his. "In front of you!"

Shifting to a stance of concentration, Jade released the restraints on her staff, and jerked it swiftly and forcefully to her left. In a whir of silver and purple, the body of Reptile flew backwards, and out of the palace entrance.

"I got him," Cage called, running after Reptile.

Sonya and Mileena returned focus to the three atop the stairs.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. But we will need much more assistance. There were more than ten of the most notorious villains locked up inside our prison here, and they've all escaped."

Jade stepped up beside the princess. "Not including Kintaro."

"I see. I'll call in for backup, then."

The three walked down the stairs as Sonya spoke through the communication device on her wrist, and after they'd stopped on the floor of the main hall, Kitana found her eyes traveling over Sonya's facial features.

"I know this may sound strange... but, you've... changed your hair?"

Sonya's eyes shifted to the princess as she finished up her request, and she smiled faintly. "I figured I'd try to go back to my natural color."

"Well, the color suits you." she said, smiling brightly. Jade smiled as well, nodding in agreement with the princess.

She laughed briefly. "I'm flattered."

Silently following the conversation, Mileena looked from each of the women as they spoke. She'd known that appearances were a common topic of conversation for human women, but she'd never had the opportunity to feel _out of place_ while she was around others who discussed it. Now the situation was different, and she knew that she was sure she didn't like this feeling.

After a short while, Johnny returned to the entrance of the palace, dragging Reptile back inside with him. He dropped his hold on the collar of the now restrained animal, and his back fell against the floor with a thud.

His head immediately flung upwards, and even while looking on from an awkward position for his spine, lashed his tongue in the direction of the princess.

"Stop that," Liu Kang threatened sternly, gently grabbing hold of Kitana's arm. She was utterly disgusted, as well as confused- wondering why he'd harbored this kind of obsession for her, and why it had been allowed to progress over so much time.

"What will you do? Kill me?" he mocked, whipping the thin, flexible muscle about.

"Ignore him."

Jade turned to Liu Kang as he appeared to want to step towards Reptile, and held her hands out in front of him. "He's not worth your frustration."

"What do you want from me?

All eyes were pointed to Kitana, suddenly.

"I want to know what he wants from me." she said, looking to Liu Kang, and then back to Reptile.

When he continued to fling his slimy muscle about, presumably deciding not to answer the princess, Jade could see Kitana growing angry.

"Don't let him get to you..." she whispered as she watched the princess walk forward.

She immediately took one silver dagger from behind her back, and gracefully swiped it downward.

"I won't ask again." Kitana warned.

Liu Kang, with an expression of worry, hurried to her side, anticipating her every move. He knew she was going to harm him in some way, but he didn't want a murder on her hands. In fact, he never wanted that, and always found himself committing the very act he could never bear to see her perform himself.

But before he could even realize what was happening, Kitana had lowered herself to her knees, forced his head into the floor, and drawn her fan behind her shoulder.

"Kitana, I said not to let him-"

_Whip. _

"Kitana!"

Now angered, in extreme pain, and trying his best to yell, Reptile thrashed his legs wildly about. He threw his body left and right, in a desperate attempt to break free of his restraints.

"I will-"

"You will pa-"

And then he let one last exclamation of frustration out, in the form out an aggravated cry.

The princess picked up the remainder of his bleeding tongue from the floor, and slid it up and down her body. "You wanted me so bad. Now here I am," she mocked, tossing the severed muscle back towards his body.

"Kitana..." Liu Kang whispered to himself.

The others remained silent, staring at a distraught Reptile as they stood around him in a circle.

"Now tell me."

Jade slowly walked up beside Kitana, frowning in her direction. "I don't think he can tell you anything right now. Especially not without a _tongue_."

Kitana's eyes narrowed. "It'll grow back." she snarled, turning on her heel.

She walked over to the wide doorway to their left, staring off into the distant night. Liu Kang followed beside her, and from what Jade could hear, he was trying to assure her that Reptile's obsession meant nothing.

The Edenian warrior turned her focus to Mileena, but what she hadn't expected, was to see her gone. She walked to the main doorway opposite of the one Kitana and Liu Kang were standing in, and walked outside.

There was nothing but the silence cast over the trees, and the indigo darkness dotted with glowing white stars in the sky. She listened hard, and over the cool wind blowing, she heard a voice.

Mileena was nearby, and Jade followed her voice to where she assumed it was coming from.

"I do not serve Shang Tsung. I serve my princess and sister, and I do not wish harm to any of you any longer."

"How can I be sure? You are famed for your trickery, Tarkatan."

Jade increased the speed of her walk to a jog, and came to a clearing where she saw Mileena in a defensive stance against Sub Zero.

"Sub Zero. Mileena is no longer aligned with the forces of evil. She poses no threat to any of us."

His eyes moved to the Edenian general, and as she approached the two, he ceased to transfer energy to his ice blade, causing it to de-materialize.

He looked back to Mileena. "I apologize."

Seemingly distant as their conversation went on, the spectre re-plotted his attack. He was never one for hiding, but when the Tarkatan clone arrived and confronted him, it ruined his intention to surprise Sub Zero. Now there were more people in the way, and he'd decided to take out the newest arrival first.

And he was just as unaware of being watched as the three below him. Someone knew he was about to attack, and they'd already planned to stop him from doing so.

"I've seen a group of four not far from here. I wanted to see if they had already reached the palace and took everyone. They spoke of capture."

"Capture?" Jade frowned. "Have they by any chance taken Kung Lao?"

He nodded. "They've already begun to transport him. I'm not sure where."

Jade was shaken at this news, seeing as he'd been captured a while before she was even able to realize it. What would they do to him? And why hadn't she been able to save him?

"Let's return to the palace and inform the others." she said. "We'll have a better chance of getting information with a bigger group."

The three started back towards the palace, but after a few steps, they were interrupted from doing so.

A dark figure removed Jade from sight in short flash of emerald light, and Mileena immediately drew her sai as she watched flames engulf the spot where Jade once stood.

"Scorpion!"

Sub Zero directed a spike towards the spectre mid-air, who was then encased in a thin sheet of ice as he fell to the ground. The ice broke in sync with his collision with the ground, and Scorpion returned to his feet, charging towards Sub Zero.

Mileena spun around, upon hearing movement behind her. Jade had returned...

But a man in black and red was beside her.

"Why did you save-"

He pushed past Jade and Mileena, and by merely lifting his arm, stopped all movement on Scorpion's part. He then waved his arm forcefully to the left, and the spectre went along with it.

"You said you needed to return to the palace to regroup. We suggest you do so before the spectre returns to a conscious state."

Sub Zero ran towards the palace entrance without hesitance, and the other three followed closely behind.

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x x x

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_10/4/11 - Thank you for reading this far. This story is in no way canceled, but it is on hiatus. If you liked what you've seen, I encourage you to say so. I love the fact that people PM me asking me to continue this, but... I never see that kind of love in the reviews section! XD How is that possible? Not to sound needy, but I never know you're reading if you never review. _

_Take care! And don't hack my interwebs!_


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